II ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. 



most active Fellows of the Society, and held the office of President in the third year of its existence. 

 His eminence in science, especially in that branch of chemistry to which he devoted himself, was 

 acknowledged throughout the world, and needs no eulogy on this occasion. It is gratifying to us all 

 to know that even in the last two years of his life, when he was a great sufferer from disease, he 

 never failed to feel the deepest interest in the success of the Society, and to regret that his health 

 prevented him from taking his customary part in the proceedings. 



The French Section of Literature and History has also lost the gentleman who, for a number of 

 years, acted as its secretary with acceptance to its members. Mr. Alphonse Lusignau was a much 

 younger man than Dr. Hunt, and many years of usefulness were, in the ordinary nature of things, 

 open to one in the prime of life ; but his career of promise was brought to an untimely end, and the 

 Society has lost a Fellow who, no doubt, would have been of service to it in the future. 



By the death of Abbé Provancher, the scientific men of Canada have lost a man of industry and 

 ability in the interesting line of study to which he devoted himself with so much zeal. 



In compliance with the rule relating to the election of Fellows, circulars were duly forwarded to 

 the members of Sections One and Four, to fill a vacancy in the former caused by the death of M. 

 Lusignan, and to make an addition to the latter Section under the new rule. In Section One, Abbé 

 Auguste Gosselin has received a majority of the votes of the Section, and the Council consequently 

 recommend the ratification of the action of that body. 



In Section Four, the Rev. Dr. Bethune, of Port Hope, the distinguished entomologist, has been 

 elected by the greater number of the members of this Section. The Council consequently report the 

 fact to the Society so that it maj' duly ratify this election. 



The Council call attention that there are two vacancies to be filled in Sections Three and Four. 



The Council recommend to the favourable consideration of the various Sections the advisability of 

 preparing memoirs of deceased Fellows for submission to the Society, and for subsequent publication 

 in the Transactions. Such memoirs should be prepared by a Fellow to be nominated by the Section 

 to which the deceased belonged. 



The Council also recommend that, after the completion of the Tenth Volume, the Transactions of 

 the Society be published in Royal 8vo size, and that a limited number only of volumes be bound ; but 

 that a certain number of each author's paper be made up separately in pamphlet form. The details 

 as to number, etc., to be decided by the printing committee ; and further, that the printing commit- 

 tee be authorized to separate the ' Transactions ' into such number of volumes as may be found 

 convenient. 



A communication has been i-eceived from Professor .T. Gr. MacGregor, with respect to the best 

 method of electing members to the Royal Society. The Council have referred this communication to 

 Section III. for examination and immediate report : — 



"Halifax, N.S., May 23, 1892. 

 " The Honorary Secretary of the Royal Society of Canada. 



" Dear Sir, — At the 1890 meeting of the Royal Society it was resolved, on motion of Dr. Bailey 

 and myself, ' That the Council be instructed to report at the next general meeting on the best method 

 of electing members to the Society' ('Proc. and Trans.,' vol. viii., p. xlvi.). The matter was over- 

 looked at the 1891 meeting, and the present Council has therefore, I suppose, no instructions to make 

 such report. Nevertheless, as the matter is a very important one, I take the liberty of making this 

 communication to the Council, and of suggesting that they print it in their annual report as contain- 

 ing a suggestion worthy of the consideration of the Society. I may say that I have looked into and 

 tested all the methods of electing persons to offices by letter, of which I have heard, with the result 

 that the only one which cannot fail to elect the candidate or candidates whom the electoi'S wish to 

 choose, is the one referred to below. 



" The occasion of the resolution referred to above was the difficulty experienced by Section III. in 



